E ugen e Ch apter. Spring Rhododendron Show. Saturday, April 25 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. Hilton Garden Inn 3528 Gateway St. Springfield, OR 97477

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1 AR S EU G EN E C H A PT E R N E WSL E T T E R A P RIL 2015 E ugen e Ch apter A m e r i c a n Officers, Board Members, & Committees President Ali Sarlak Vice-President Terry Henderson Treasurer Nancy Burns Secretary Sherlyn Hilton Past-President Ted Hewitt Membership Nancy Burns Helen Baxter Tom Beatty Jack Olson Gordon Wylie Committees Show: Helen Baxter, Sherlyn Hilton, Terry Henderson Nominating: Welfare: Nancy & Harold Greer Hospitality: Programs: Board of Directors Newsletter Editor Ted Hewitt ted.hewitt@comcast.net Printing & Mailing Harold Greer hgreer@greergardens.com S o c i e t y 2015 Spring Rhododendron Show and Banquet Saturday, April 25 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. Entries accepted 3:30-4:45 Hilton Garden Inn 3528 Gateway St. Springfield, OR Buffet Dinner 6:00 ($30 per person) Voting 5:00-5:45 Incredible plant auction 7:00 * Silent Auction ~~~~~~~~~~ * Raffle Tickets: $1 each or Program 7:30-8:20 Speaker: Harold Greer The Rhododendron Species Foundation: Early Years and Founders 6 for $5 What to Bring: trusses and sprays from your garden to enter in the Show bonsai, vireyas, photos for the display tables checkbook and/cash for plants and dinner Webmaster Ted Hewitt R h o d o d e n d r o n (make checks payable to ARS Eugene Chapter, sorry no credit cards) RSVP for Dinner by April 20 to Harold Greer (541) hgreer@greergardens.com For more information see the article in this newsletter. R.heliolepis

2 2015 Spring Rhododendron Show by Sherlyn Hilton You are invited to enjoy an evening of flowers, friends and food at the 2015 Spring Rhododendron Show on April 25 th! Bring your blooming flower trusses and sprays to the Hilton Garden Inn (3528 Gateway St. in Springfield) just off Beltline Road and I-5. We will also have an area to display your bonsai, vireyas and photos. Come and enjoy an evening dedicated to rhododendrons. There are seven trophy classes. Trusses and sprays can be entered in the following categories: Deciduous Azaleas (A), Evergreen Azaleas (B), Pink Elepidotes (Cp), Red Elepidotes (Cr), White or Yellow Elepidotes (Cw), Other-Colored Elepidotes (Co), Lepidotes (D). Bring what you have blooming; it will fit in one of these categories! Entries will be accepted from 3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Here are the logistics for entering your flowers in the show. First, you will fill out a form for each of your trusses and sprays. The form will ask for the name of the rhododendron, your name, and the class. Volunteers will assist you! Each entry will be given a number that will allow judges to identify your entry. Please write the number at the top of your entry form. Then volunteers will help you place your entries in the correct categories on the display racks. You will receive a ticket for each entry you bring. Tickets will be entered into a drawing for a free dinner. The more entries you bring, the better your odds of winning! Voting starts at 5:00. Each attendee will cast a ballot. This is a great chance to carefully observe and discuss all the entered trusses and sprays. Mark the ballot with the number of the entry you decide is the best in each of the seven trophy categories. Ballots will be collected and tallied at 5:45 p.m. The winners will be announced prior to dinner. Trophies will be awarded in these categories: Best Azalea (Deciduous or evergreen) Best Pink Elepidote Best Red Elepidote Best White or Yellow Elepidote Best Other-Colored Elepidote Best Lepidote Best Species This year dinner will be a delicious buffet. You can dine on tossed green salad with tomato, cucumber, carrot and croutons; arugula salad with asparagus and prosciutto ham; cucumber and tomato salad; bow tie pasta salad; roasted pork medallions topped with fresh peaches and caramelized onions; grilled chicken breast with apples, fennel and sausage; smoked gouda ravioli in a marinara sauce; roasted potatoes; rice pilaf; fresh vegetables; freshly baked rolls with butter; and a generous assortment of freshly made desserts with freshly brewed coffee, decaffeinated coffee and hot teas. A no-host bar will be available for beer, wine or mixed drinks. The bar will open at 4:00 this year! p. 2 continued on p. 3

3 (2015 Spring Baquet - continued from p. 2) Dinner costs $30 per person, including gratuity. The chapter also contributes $4 for each dinner, thus we need an accurate seat count to give the restaurant by April 20th. Please send your RSVP to Harold Greer at (541) or (541) or him at hgreer@greergardens.com. You may pay for dinner at the end of the night with cash or a check (made out to ARS Eugene Chapter). collection. We will have a spirited auction for unusual beauties, a silent auction for unique gems, and a raffle for an extraordinary specimen. Bring your checkbook or cash so you can take home a new garden treasure! Mark the date, April 25 th, to enjoy great food, fabulous flowers, new plants, and, most importantly, the camaraderie of your friends at the annual Spring Rhododendron Show! Our speaker this year is our own Harold Greer presenting, The Rhododendron Species Foundation: Early Years and Founders. This program explores the people behind the Foundation and the challenges that were overcome to create the collection and garden. Harold has been a part of the Foundation from its beginning and personally knew many of the Northwest rhododendron pioneers. I look forward to learning about the personalities behind many of our favorite rhododendrons. Dinner and plant purchases can be paid with cash or a check made out to ARS Eugene Chapter (sorry, no credit cards). Sherlyn Hilton Throughout the evening there are great opportunities to add to your plant 2014 Spring Banquet 2014 Spring Rhododendron Show 2014 Spring Rhododendron Show p. 3

4 AR S EU G EN E C H A PT E R N E WSL E T T E R A P RI L Before I finish, I should join the rest of you by saying, yes, the season this year brought early bounces and the plants are in bloom already. I will include my photo of R. ʻPJMʼ. No rhododendron garden should be without this early lovely rhodie. From the President What is Happening in the Coming Months? Thank you to all of our members who have been helping to make our Eugene Rhododendron Society the way it is. We all know that it is not just one person who does it all. We are all interested in the information, as well as the social gathering aspect of our society and the unusual Rhodies we take home. Our board members have been working hard to put together a variety of activities for us in the coming months. Our societyʼs Spring Rhododendron Show on April 25 really highlights our year events; then there is our plant sale on May 9 which is fun and, hopefully, will be a source of money making for us; then our Garden tour on May 21. You certainly donʼt want to miss that one. Among the gardens visited will be Jack Olsonʼs garden and we have to see if Jack made his new greenhouse mouse proof on the second round. The Hinsdale Garden in Reedsport will be open during the peak of blooming season and you can check that also. R. PJM Group photo by Ali Sarlak Finally, please, if you see someone doing something for our society, make sure to thank that person by saying you appreciate their efforts and their talents. That is always a good thing and makes both of you feel you are doing the right thing. Ali Sarlak We are working on deciding where our June picnic is going to be this year and we can let you know very soon when we know for sure. Chapter Potting Party 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 16 Earlier this year, at our November chapter meeting we made cuttings from plants in Hendricks Park and the Hinsdale Garden in an effort to replace needed plants in the gardens. We dipped them in a rooting hormone and then stuck them in a rooting mix before Terry Henderson transported them to his nursery for rooting. Guess what? They have roots and are ready to be transplanted to gallon containers. Bring your gloves or your bare hands to Log Cabin Nursery, 3820 Hayden Bridge Road, Springfield, at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, to help out. If you might get thirsty, bring a bottle of water or what you prefer. Good fun and you might get to do some shopping as well. p. 4

5 The Cecil & Molly Smith Garden Opens for the Season The Cecil and Molly Smith Garden, world renowned for its collection of species and hybrid rhododendrons, will be open during the blooming season, Saturdays and Sundays, April 4th through May 17th, 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. This three-acre natural woodland setting also features choice trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and bulbs, including Cyclamen, Trillium, Erythronium and Narcissus which complement the over 600 rhododendrons and azaleas. Established in the early 1950's, the garden contains many rare species grown by Cecil Smith from seeds Imported from China and cuttings from England, as well as hybrids he developed. Smith Garden photo courtesy of Roger Lintault The Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society purchased the garden in 1983 and, along with the Willamette and Tualatin Valley Chapters, now manages and maintains it. A selection of plants featured in the garden are available for purchase. There is a modest admission fee of $3.00. Due to the sloping site the garden is not considered handicap accessible. The garden is located at 5055 Raybell Road, St.Paul, Oregon, /10ths of a mile west of Highway 219 between St. Paul and Newberg. Turn west on Champoeg Road (look for the blue Heirloom Roses sign) and continue straight on to Raybell Road to the garden. Parking and entrance are on the right just past the house with the garden address. For more information, call Dick or Karen Cavender at or see smithgarden.org This spring, don't miss this hidden gem which has been featured in Horticulture magazine and several television programs. photo courtesy of Roger Lintault Special ARS Eugene Chapter Program: Restoration of Older Scottish Gardens Through the efforts of Gordon Wylie, a special program by John Hammond has been added to our chapter calendar and scheduled for noon on Tuesday, May 19. The program will look at the restoration of some of the older Scottish gardens. More details will be published in the May Newsletter. p. 5

6 Places to Go and Things to Do April 4 & 5 11:00 to 4:00 Cecil & Molly Smith Garden open each weekend through May 17 April 8 6:30 p.m. ARS Willamette Chapter Meeting, First Methodist Church, Salem Speaker: Don Wallace from Singing Tree Nursery April 11 8:00-4:00 GardenPalooza, Fir Point Farms, Arndt Road, Aurora 40 vendors April 11 & 12 ARS Siuslaw Chapter Early Show, Florence Events Center April 11 & 12 9:00-6:00 Open Garden at the home of Pat & Dave Eckerdt, 4539 Riverdale Rd. S., Salem Dave at patanddave@mac.com for driving directions. This is a great garden. April 11 & 12 ARS Portland Chapter Early Show with the Oregon Daffodil Society at Crystal Springs April 16 2:00 p.m. ARS Eugene Potting Party, Log Cabin Nursery, 3820 Hayden Bridge Road, Springfield April 17 & 18 Great Plant Sale at the RSBG in Federal Way, WA Unusual plants from NW vendors April 18 10:00-2:00 Hinsdale Open Garden Day. Umpqua River east of Reedsport April 19 April 20 April April 25 April 25 1:00 p.m. Hendricks Park Rhododendron Garden Walk with Michael Robert 6:30 p.m. Avid Gardeners Meeting, Eugene Garden Club on High Street Sharpening Your Garden Photography Skills with Doreen Wynja ARS Willamette Chapter Truss Show & Plant Sale, River Front Park, Salem 3:00 to 9:00 ARS Eugene Chapter Spring Rhododendron Show and Banquet 10:00-2:00 Hinsdale Open Garden Day. Umpqua River east of Reedsport. April 26 1:00 p.m. Mosses and Ferns Walk in Hendricks Park with David Wagner May ARS Convention in Sydney-by-the-Sea, British Columbia May 8 10:00-3:00 Set-Up for the plant sale at the Fairgrounds. You may also shop today. May 9 9:00-2:00 Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Sale at the Lane County Fairgrounds. We are a vendor at this sale and earn a large part of our chapter budget here May 9 10:00-2:00 Hinsdale Open Garden Day. Umpqua River east of Reedsport May ARS Siuslaw Chapter Rhododendron Flower Show, Florence Events Center, Florence May 17 7:00 a.m. Hendricks Park Birding Walk with Dan Gleason May 19 noon ARS Eugene Program - Restoration of Older Scottish Gardens by John Hammond. Details in May NL May 21 Chapter field trip to the gardens of Cassandra & Bryan Barrett and Jack & Sandie Olson. Chapter Field Trip On Thursday, May 21, Cassandra & Bryan Barrett are opening their beautiful 2.5 acre garden for us to see. This 15 year-old garden is a wonderful display of Cassandra s professional skill as a garden designer as well as the hard work of two dedicated plants people. Throughout the garden, there are many garden rooms and styles that are all coordinated by paths that wind through the garden. Many of the rhododendrons are species and all are well placed to fit into the larger garden. As we wander through the garden we will see rock gardens, a lovely small front garden, the well-known heather hillside, the birch corner, a large vegetable garden and orchard, a formal area with two intersecting alleés, and a creekside dwarf conifer and rhododendron garden. The Barrett garden is located at Lost Creek Road just south of Dexter and we hope that many of you will be able to carpool arriving at the garden at 10:00 a.m. To get there take I-5 south from Eugene to Exit 188 toward Oakridge; follow Hwy 58 for about 12 miles to Dexter; turn right on Lost Creek Road for 2.9 miles. Extra parking is along Lost Valley Lane adjacent to the Barrett property. From the Barrett garden we will drive through Lowell, stopping for lunch at Armando s Mexican Restaurant, before continuing on to Fall Creek and the 2-acre garden of Jack and Sandie Olson. This garden is filled with rhododendrons as well as a large variety of other interesting plants. We will want to see Jack s new greenhouse and the propagation that he is doing. Return to Eugene will be about 5:00 p.m. Mark your calendar. p. 6

7 AR S EU G EN E C H A PT E R A P RIL 2015 RHODODENDRON & DAFFODIL SHOW AND SALE AT CRYSTAL SPRINGS RHODODENDRON GARDEN SATURDAY, April 11th - SUNDAY, April 12th 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden will host the Portland Chapter American Rhododendron Society s and Daffodil Society s Annual Show and Sale The garden is located at: 5801 SE 28th Avenue in Portland Free Admission Show opens at 12:00 pm on Saturday TO ENTER YOUR OWN FLOWERS in the show bring them to the exhibit hall 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Friday night or 7:00 AM - 9:30 AM Saturday. More information: or Presented by the Portland Chapter of The American Rhododendron Society Chapter Election Results At the March 12 chapter meeting, the annual election was completed with the following results: Nancy Burns will continue to be chapter Treasurer and Membership Secretary. Sherlyn Hilton will continue to be chapter Secretary. Helen Baxter will continue to be a Director on the Board. Many thanks go to these three for the leadership that they so willingly give to the chapter. We are very fortunate to have them on the Board. However, there are still two Board seats that are unfilled. We would much appreciate some of you joining the Board to help plan and carry out the activities that we so enjoy in this organization. Please let Ali Sarlak know if you can help out. Thank you Terry Henderson for supplying us with treats at the March meeting and helping the Girl Scout organization at the same time. p. 7 Ted s Notes Here comes the busy time in the garden world with open gardens to visit, chapter flower shows, Hendricks Park at its finest, plant sales, time in our own gardens. Enjoy. What an unusual winter with so many mild, dry days. So many plants seem to be blooming much earlier than normal and keeping their blooms longer than usual without the rains to knock them off. Several of our hardy fuchsias have not frozen to the ground and the especially hardy Fuchsia magellanica Alba is showing new growth at the 5 level so should be an 8 shrub this year with its small dangling light pink or white blossoms. Currently, R. schlippenbachii Sid s Royal Pink is such a delight with its large, delicate, light pink flowers in the woodland garden with a red trillium, Trillium kurabayashii, at its feet. Over the past several years, we have had a number of chapter spring field trips that have been enjoyed by a good many of our members. This year Terry Henderson has arranged for us to visit two very special large gardens within a short drive. The garden of Cassandra & Bryan Barrett, who run a professional design, install, and maintain garden business, has developed into an exceptional and beautiful garden filled with interesting and unusual plants including many species and unusual hybrid rhododendrons. Located along Lost Creek south of Dexter, the Barrett garden will be our first stop on Thursday, May 21, on a lovely country drive that will wind through Dexter, Lowell, and Fall Creek to the garden of Jack & Sandie Olson near Little Fall Creek. We think you will enjoy this trip and hope that you can carpool with others. The Spring Rhododendron Show on April 25 has become an especially enjoyable event designed around our interest in rhododendrons and friendship. Thank you Show Committee for your efforts. Ted

8 2014 EVENT CALENDAR 2015 CHAPTER EVENTS: April 16 April 25 May :00 p.m. Chapter Potting Party at Log Cabin Nursery, 3820 Hayden Bridge Rd., Springfield. Learn to pot up rooted cuttings ~ Help the chapter ~ Have fun Spring Rhododendron Show and Banquet, Hilton Garden Inn, 3:00-9:00 p.m. Program: History of the Rhododendron Species Foundation - the First 50 Years Speaker: Harold Greer Flower Show ~ Plant Auction ~ Raffle ~ Silent Auction ~ Dinner ARS Convention, Sydney-by-the-Sea, B.C. May 9 Chapter Plant Sale, Lane County Fairgrounds, 9:00-2:00 May 19 noon Special Chapter Program - Restoration of Older Scottish Gardens by John Hammond Summerfield Estates Club House in Eugene. See May Newsletter for details. May 21 Chapter Field Trip to the garden of Cassandra & Bryan Barrett near Dexter, lunch at Armando s in Lowell, then to the garden of Jack & Sandie Olson near Fall Creek June?? June Picnic, details TBA American Rhododendron Society Eugene Chapter PO Box 7704 Springfield, OR April 2015 Newsletter 2015 ARS Convention Sydney-by-the-Sea, British Columbia May 6-10, 2015